NASA And German Aerospace Center Sign Civil Space Agreements

WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Chairman of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Executive Board Johann-Dietrich Worner signed a framework agreement for cooperative activities in aeronautics, exploration and the peaceful use of space Wednesday at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The agreement is intended to enhance cooperation between the two agencies during the next decade.

“NASA has a long history of successful cooperation with the government of Germany and an outstanding relationship with DLR,” Bolden said. “Today’s signing will further enhance our ability to work closely together in a variety of mutually beneficial activities in virtually every NASA mission area.”

The agreement sets forth the general terms and conditions for cooperation on a range of activities related to human spaceflight, exploration, aeronautics, global climate change and Earth and space science.

“Many space missions and projects can only be carried out through international cooperation, for example, with NASA, because of their great complexity and the associated costs,” Worner said. “This is why DLR, as Germany’s national space agency and research center, is endeavoring to set up bilateral collaborations such as this.”

Bolden and Worner also signed an agreement making DLR a NASA Lunar Science Institute associate partner. The institute brings together scientists from around the world to conduct collaborative research in lunar science.